EFCC Arraigns Man For N22m Fraud, Another For N7m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, arraigned one Abdullahi Tajudeen for alleged breach of trust and forgery to the tune of twenty two million naira (N22m).

A statement issued by Wilson Uwujaren, Head of Media & Publicity, EFCC, said that the accused who was arraigned before Justice Lawal Wada of the Kano State High court, is facing a five-count criminal charge.

According to the complainant, the accused was instructed sometime in September 2011 to transfer the sum of $ 140,200 (which was equivalent to N22, 000,000.00) to one of his customers, Huzhou Fuxing, who owns a weaving and dying company in China.

The accused claimed that the money was transferred to Fuxing through one of the new generation banks on September 20, 2015, however, the telegraphic instrument presented as proof of the transfer, was allegedly forged.

Count one of the charge reads: “That Abdullahi Tajudeen on or about 13th September, 2011 at Kano within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kano while being entrusted with certain property to wit: the sum of Twenty Two Million One Hundred and Nine Thousand Five Hundred and Forty Naira Only ( N22,109,540.00) by Khalil Riad Fadiallah for onward transfer of its United States Dollars equivalent of One Hundred and Forty Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($ 140,200.00) to Huzhou Fuxing Weaving and Dying Company Limited, China, dishonestly converted the said money to your personal use in violation of the trust and instruction and you thereby committed a criminal breach of trust punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code.’’

After the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him, the prosecution counsel, M. S. Abubakar, asked the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.

Justice Wada however granted the accused person bail in the sum of N2m and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be civil servants on grade level 12 with landed properties.

The matter was adjourned to December 8, 2015 for trial.

In a related development, the EFCC, arraigned one Rev. Dame Bot before Justice Nuhu Galandanci of Kano State High Court for breach of trust and cheating to obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N7million (Seven Million Naira).

The accused, who is facing a three-count criminal charge allegedly obtained the sum from a dubious property transaction in Jos, Plateau State.

Count one of the charge reads : “That you, Kim Bot Emmanuel, on or about 10th April, 2013 in Kano within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kano State with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N3, 500, 000.00 (Three Million Five Hundred Thousand naira only) from Jos Excels Ltd belonging to Davou Pam through the Diamond Bank Plc account of kedbent International Limited under the false pretence that you had a Four- bedroom flat located at Chaongopyeng, Jos, Plateau and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.’’The accused person, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.